


kiss me through the phone

by raihaqyaza



Category: NU'EST, Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-04-01 04:44:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13990725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raihaqyaza/pseuds/raihaqyaza
Summary: Dongho and Daehwi's romance blossoming through phone calls and face times as they live their respective lives as Nu'est W and Wanna One.1: Post Double You in Seoul Day 12: Post Leaked Star Live3: Deja Vu 1st Win4: K-Con LA5: 28 January, 20196: Valentine Special7: White Day and 7th Anniversary





	1. happy till now

happy till now

by

raihaqyaza

disclaimer: they're not mine, none of them are (unfortunately), and i earn no profit whatsoever from writing this piece.

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_“_ _Your ugly sobbing face was so not attractive.”_

That was the first thing Dongho hears the moment his phone touches his ear.

He just returned to the dorm after their first concert day, still floating in a daze as things hasn’t quite fully sunk in yet. Earlier at the stadium, Minki and Aron had claimed dibs to shower first, so Jonghyun and Dongho are now on their phone while they wait for their turn.

“Brat,” Dongho chuckles, shoulder relaxing at the silky-smooth voice of someone familiar. “You weren’t even there.”

 _“I saw the clips on twitter,”_  the person on the other line replies back.  _“You were crying all the way from the beginning until the end of the concert.”_

“Can you blame me?” Dongho asks softly, throat still tender from all the singing.

_“Well, I guess not. Minhyun-hyung was ugly sobbing too in the van on our way back home, if it makes you feel any better.”_

Dongho scoffs, “I bet you were, too.”

Daehwi hums.  _“I was, yeah, when I saw your solo stage. Good job staying in tune despite feeling like crying your heart out.”_

Dongho’s eyebrows lift in surprise at the easy admittance. “Don’t tell me you’ve gone all soft on me now,” he jokes as his heart flutters helplessly.

He doesn’t understand why it’s so easy for Daehwi to openly shower Dongho with honest opinions that are borderline subtle-flirting.

(Not that he’s complaining, he likes it that way.)

But still, at times, Dongho thinks he doesn’t deserve Daehwi’s forgiveness, not after his cowardice in turning him down out of fear of being  _different_  in a close-minded country like South Korea. Despite that, Daehwi constantly keeps him updated with his schedules without expecting anything in return, and Dongho is nothing but grateful at the unforceful approach that allows Dongho to slowly come out willingly out of his fear bubble.

 _“What can I say, your performance was beautiful,”_  Daehwi tells him, and Dongho’s heart swells with an insane amount of adoration for the diva. It’s the perfect way to end the night, he thinks.

Dongho sighs, “I wish you could watch in person.”

Daehwi laughs humorlessly.  _“Snakes, hyung, too many snakes in this world.”_

Dongho can’t help the force that tugs the corner of his lips into a smile. Daehwi’s open dislike to a certain entertainment company (which is completely mutual, of course) never fails to bring him into a genuine laughter.

“Next year,” Dongho says—or requests, really, because he really wants Daehwi to see him now, in person, when he’s in a better state unlike how pathetically miserable he was during Produce 101.

He is in a better place now, and he thinks he wants to show Daehwi how his presence has helped him move forward, and maybe if Daehwi’s still willing, if there’s a place in his heart to forgive Dongho, then maybe—just maybe, they can start over.

Daehwi echoes back,  _“Next year, then.”_

The bathroom door clicks open, and Aron comes out freshly washed. Dongho checks Jonghyun, who seems to be still on the phone with Minhyun, and gestures to him that he will be going first, to which Jonghyun replies with a quick nod.

“I need to shower,” Dongho tells Daehwi. “I can call you back?”

 _“It’s okay, you need to rest for tomorrow’s concert anyway,”_  Daehwi assures him.

Daehwi can’t see him now and so he openly pouts, to which Aron gagged mockingly at. Dongho throws him a pillow and gets up, “One last thing.”

 _“Shoot,”_  Daehwi replies, and he sounds like he was stifling a yawn.

“Who is Kang Dongho to Lee Daehwi?”

There, he asked him, because he feels like he is ready and he partly blames (and thanks) the adrenaline that keeps him high at the moment. He focuses extra hard on the floor to avoid the heavy, intense gaze that he can feel coming off from both Jonghyun and Aron. If he tries hard enough, he can almost hear Minhyun listening in, too.

(That’s okay, he doesn’t think he will regret this.)

Dongho hears a breath hitch, and his heart suddenly seem to beat even more rapidly than before the concert today. Then, he hears a breathy laughter, and then the sound of Daehwi clearing his throat.

Dongho braces himself.

He hears a smooth, melodious voice.

_“Seeing you, I will always be able to smile. Because I was by your side, I’ve been happy till now.”_

Dongho feels his heart threatening to burst his chest open. He takes in a deep breath, because it is  _so_  Daehwi to sing his song right back to him.

“Are you really? Happy, that is?” he checks, because he can’t get enough of Daehwi now, not after listening to his angelic voice.

 _“I am,”_  Daehwi assures, and Dongho hopes his bubbling happiness can resonate back to wherever Daehwi is at the moment, so he knows that his feelings are genuine this time around and not going anywhere, not anymore.

“Until now?”

“ _Especially now.”_

The flow is good, all Dongho needs is to say something equally sweet right back at him, but—

—but he  _can’t_ , so he bursts into a fit of giggles right then and there instead.

He hears Daehwi laugh with him, or perhaps  _at_  his helplessness, but he finds that he doesn’t mind. He met Daehwi at his lowest moment a year ago and emerges back a changed man. He remembers how unhappy he was this time around last year, until his life was suddenly turned upside down, and Daehwi—not only was he there to have his life, world, and whole universe turned upside down alongside him, he was also there to witness Dongho’s transformation from the uncultured savage that he was into a man that finally lets go of his pain to have a new start.

Daehwi will forever have a special place in Dongho’s whole universe, and he will eternally be grateful with him despite how much of an asshole he was to Daehwi back then.

Because of Daehwi, he thinks tonight’s concert couldn’t end any better than it did.

(And because of Daehwi, Dongho thinks that he, too, has been happy until now.)

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The End


	2. Leaked Star Live

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dongho checks up on Daehwi after the infamous Star Live got leaked.

Dongho’s face flashes on Daehwi screen and the first thing that comes is a cheeky grin and a  _“Great job, Daehwi.”_

Daehwi, who just stumbled back to the dorm along with the rest of the members after a rather harsh  _ass-whooping_  from their manager, groans and shoves Jinyoung aside so he can get cozy on the couch. He grabs a cushion and hides his face, “Don’t tell me you’ve seen the video, too,” he mumbles.

He ignores Jinyoung flipping him the bird in the middle of his sleeping.

Dongho’s face lights up with laughter on the screen.  _“Introduce me to one fan in this world who hasn’t seen the video, I’ll wait.”_

“Shut up,” Daehwi rolls his eyes. “It’s  _so_ not our fault that the video got leaked.”

_“Don’t sweat about it, the world needs a reality check every once in a while.”_

“Exactly!” Daehwi exclaims and nods whole-heartedly. “That’s what I tried to tell Jisung-hyung earlier, but he’s really pissed with all of us at the moment. Like as if our mothers aren’t trying to beat us up right now.”

Dongho, clearly enjoying the whole spectacle, asks,  _“How’s mister ‘I pooped this morning’ doing?”_

“Still on the phone with his mother,” Daehwi replies without missing a beat. Everyone is currently scattered around the dorm with their phones, getting the reprimand that they (honestly don’t) deserve from their families and friends, and Daehwi guesses this ‘scolding fest’ will continue past midnight.

_“And I guess you’re save from anyone’s wrath so far?”_

Daehwi pretends to flip his hair over his shoulder. “What can I say, I’m just smart that way.”

 _“Or you’re just a fast learner,”_ Dongho smirks, and  _oh_  how Daehwi wish he could kiss that annoying smirk away.

(He totally would, if he’s here in person, or Daehwi’s there in his dorm. Now  _that_  is the kind of scandal he wouldn’t mind getting an ass-whooping for.)

He settles with the cushion instead.

“Stop bringing up ‘Diva Daehwi’ series Produce 101, that bitch is dead,” Daehwi rolls his eyes. “We’re in a golden age now,” he shamelessly promotes.

Dongho chuckles, and then a sly smirk replaces it immediately.  _“But that was the Daehwi I got interested with, what am I supposed to do?”_

“Leave Daehwi alone, you uncultured savage!” A scream from the kitchen reaches them, and Daehwi is glad for Minhyun’s interruption, or else he’d explode in happiness.

The mentioned uncultured savage lifts his eyebrows in surprise,  _“What got his panties in a twist this time?”_

Daehwi bites his bottom lip in worry and checks the kitchen, where Minhyun is actively scowling at his instant ramyon that has yet to cook.

He rakes his brain, trying to come up with another reason as to why his hyung would be mad this time, since he wasn’t actually one of the people who— _ahem_ , misspoke earlier today. It has been his default mood for the past week, especially since he couldn’t celebrate Nu’est’s 6th anniversary with the members due to schedule, couldn’t attend their concert for all three days despite having a seat specifically prepared for him, and had to go to hospital and then made to shoot a dance practice video in a  _taco costume,_  for goodness sake.

It comes to his brain quick.

”I think he’s pissed that they didn’t prepare a congratulatory video from you guys,” Daehwi tells Dongho. Yeah, he’s sure of that now. Disappointment was written so clearly all over Minhyun-hyung’s face when Seonho appeared on the screen, and then MXM, and then the cats, and then Sungwoon’s grandfather— but nothing from Nu’est W.

Dongho, who seemed to be in a daze for a second, blinks,  _“What?”_

Daehwi huffs, “Is this boring you?”

 _“No!”_ Dongho immediately replies,  _“Sorry, you were—”_   he flushes, and then mumbles softly after checking there is no one around him,  _“You were biting your lip, dammit.”_

Oh.

Well.

Mischievous glint flickers in Daehwi’s eyes, and he makes show of swiping his tongue over his bottom lip very, very slowly.

 _“Stop,”_ Dongho groans. He hides his face in his pillow for a moment, and then looks back up to the camera, ignoring the sleazy grin on Daehwi’s face. He clears his throat,  _“So, he’s mad about us not sending over a video?”_

Daehwi, still with a grin on his face, nods.

_“Well, knowing them, he should have seen it coming.”_

“Uh-huh.”

_“Especially knowing how crazy your sasaengs are, it’s probably better to not risk it to protect you guys and our fans, too.”_

“Right.”

_“Besides, if he really needs to be mad about something, he should probably go and demand more screen time for Guanlin instead. Have you seen Boomerang? I swear he didn’t even get more than five seconds in that video, and—Daehwi, get that smirk off your face!”_

Daehwi meets his stare, challenging, uncowering, “Or what?”

Dongho snorts, “ _I miss it when you could barely string a coherent sentence when I’m around.”_

“Can you blame a man for being happy?” Daehwi shrugs, a smile playing on his face. They’ve been here, once, where it was all about flirting and less about feelings. For a while, after Dongho walked away, they were barely speaking for a few months until things progressed into polite nods and smiles during music shows. They only started talking again after the universe threw them into an insane number of awards shows and Dongho was starting to feel better about himself, more confident with dreaming big, once again.

 It took time for Dongho to return to his old self and relax, and so Daehwi is programmed by default to cherish every moment they can have—

(In case he gets scared again. In case he leaves him, again.)

Dongho’s scowl falters into a soft smile.  _“Don’t get me wrong, I love it when you tease, but keep it lowkey until at least you’re legal, yeah?”_

“We would be able to date were we living in New York,” Daehwi pouts, biting the inner part of his cheek to keep a grin from forming at Dongho’s statement.

_“And we would also be able to get married were we living in New York. Well guess what, it’s South Korea for you and me, kid.”_

Daehwi’s heart stops, then beats.

His grin is a genuine force of nature when he asks, “Did you hear yourself just now?”

Dongho frowns, and then his eyes widen.

Daehwi wiggles his brows.

_“I—yeah. Goodnight.”_

“No!” Daehwi giggles, and lets this one go, this time. “Hyung, stay!”

_“For all the complains you’re sprouting about not being able to sleep, you’re clearly doing less of that and more of—what, being on your phone? Sleep, it’s late.”_

“Fine,” Daehwi rolls his eyes playfully. “I guess the old man needs to rest.”

Dongho rolls his eyes back,  _“Goodnight.”_

“Goodnight,” Daehwi tells him, and then ends the call.

He places his phone next to him, faceplants into the cushion he’s been holding, and screams in joy.

Well, he’s certainly not getting any sleep now.

(Doesn’t matter, no one will catch him complaining).                                      

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I applaud the boys for saying what they said.


	3. Deja Vu First Win

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daehwi denies that he streams Deja Vu and Dongho admits that he hasn't been this happy in a long time.

Daehwi’s face lights up on Dongho’s phone screen.

They are both barefaced and tired, but Daehwi has promised that he will call, so Dongho stayed awake just in case it will come. He doesn’t bother waiting the moment his phone vibrates to Daehwi’s cover of Happy Till Now. 

Yes, he made it his ringtone.

 _“Congratulations,”_ Daehwi smiles, sincere and positively glowing. Through the screen, Dongho takes note of the dim hotel room and realizes it must be early in the morning where he is right now.

Dongho smiles back, almost bashful, but happy. “I’m sorry you have to get up so early.”

Daehwi rolls his eyes dismissively and Dongho watches him shifts into a better position. _“I told you they would acknowledge your hard work.”_

Dongho laughs, the warmth in his chest not seeming to go away. “You’re biased. I know you helped stream your ass off. Probably confiscated all your members’ and managers’ phones to stream or something.”

Daehwi shrugs, _“My inner professional producer side can tell talents apart, and you are talented, so shut up. Besides, I’m still streaming Light so it doesn’t drop from the charts.”_

Dongho snatches a banana from their dining table and throws himself onto the sofa. Next to him, Aron is in the middle of rapid texting his supposedly friend.

(His hyung is stupid if he thinks the members don’t have a bet going on about how he might be back together with _ahem_ Noah’s sibling’s other parent).

He turns his focus back to Daehwi’s, who just mufled a small yawn. As Daehwi rubs the sleepiness away from his eyes, Dongho thinks he can writes albums and albums drawing inspiration from Daehwi forever. His wit, his talent, his voice, his eyes, his heart, his passion.

Damn, he’s smitten.

 _“You mentioned your Dad,”_ Daehwi peeks behind his thick duvet. Only his eyes are visible at this point, but they speak so much emotion that sometimes Dongho wonders how can someone so young feel so much without having those feelings eating him raw inside out.

Dongho offers him a half smile, “I did.”

 _“You never did that. You never—”_ Daehwi pauses, and Dongho guesses his quick brain took a halt so he can arrange the words in a way that won’t chase him away. They are getting better and better at this communication thing and something swells in his heart. _“You’ve never shared something so personal in public before.”_

“I owe them that much.” He replies, a swift and definite answer. Dongho produced this album with all that he has, and for his own masterpiece to be awarded and loved by public this way, it’s an elevating joy that he thinks no one and nothing can replace.

Daehwi falls into a silence. _“I am proud of you,”_ he tells Dongho.

Dongho instantly bursts into a big smile, the corners of his eyes pricking. “Yeah?”

“ _Yeah._ ” Although the lower part of Daehwi’s face is covered by the duvet, Dongho can imagine a soft smile playing on Daehwi’s lips. “I’m happy for you. You deserve this. I know your father will be proud of you, too.”

Dongho’s breath hitches. To think it has only been a year, and things have changed so much.

Daehwi’s morning, soothing voice asks, _“Are you happy?”_

It’s a question that idols rarely hear from their fans, and so there seem to be an unspoken pact where idols take it upon themselves to trade the simple three words in whispers from time to time. Dongho only allows his members to ask him that—and Daehwi too, now.

For the first time, he thinks he can say truthfully that he is. “I am.”

* * *

 

Later, after Dongho finishes his live with Dispatch and is ready to get to bed, his phone rings with a notification from Wanna One’s V-Live channel. Upon seeing Daehwi in all his bare-faced glory, he taps on the video and turns the volume up.

 _“My playlist?”_ Daehwi asks the fans, and then checks his phone. His finger scrolls through the screen, and he hums, _“The top songs on my playlist are our songs,”_ he chuckles shamelessly, and Dongho chuckles with him at his honesty.

 _“And then,”_ Daehwi continues, his eyes shifting from his phone to make eye contact with the camera. Dongho’s breath hitches. knows that overly careful and neutral expression. His heart helplessly, hopefully, skips a beat. _“Nu’est W sunbaenim’s songs.”_

Dongho’s smile is so wide that he thinks it will stay permanently on his face. Ignoring Minki’s teasing holler from the living room, he texts Daehwi.

_I knew it._

The reply comes instantly.

_< 3_

He goes to sleep in peace after.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In celebration of Deja Vu 1st win. Stream Deja Vu y'all. Even Daehwi does. Also, I am so happy with how Dongho seems to be in a better place now.


	4. K-Con LA

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are a variety of smug, mischievous smiles from four different handsome faces all adorned with eyebrows raised knowingly, and holy crap, Daehwi kind of realizes he is a hoe left alone with the bros.

As soon as the first light of morning peeks through the window, Daehwi—who was absolutely not staying up the whole night waiting, thank you very much—grabs his phone from the bedside table and rings the top number on his recent calls.

Waiting for the other line to pick up, he chews on an excited smile, because he is finally in the same continent as his—boyfriend, crush, lover, _whatever, again_ after a while, and they are finally in a city where they can be whoever they want, so he just can’t let a single moment go to waste when he could spend it with his—

“The fuck, Daehwi.”

Asshole instead.

“Well aren’t you a happy morning sunshine,” Daehwi drawls, nerve instantly replaced with fond exasperation.

His boyfriend groans on the other side of the line, and he can hear him stretching his sore muscles away by the sound of the soft rustle of the hotel bed.

“Anyway,” Daehwi says without batting an eyelash as he gets up and pulls up a pair of black trouser and a sweater and put them on. “Wake up, we have breakfast date in 30 minutes.”

Silence.

Yeah, he has expected this reaction.

Daehwi blames the big dumbass that his boyfriend is and proceeds to tiptoe to the bathroom (Jinyoung is more of a bitch than his boyfriend is in early mornings) to fix his face and hair as he lets his dimwit of a boyfriend process that breakfast invite in his tiny brain which only expands and functions spectacularly when writing music.

“You do realize that is just going to unnecessarily freak people out?” Dongho says finally, sounding more awake.

Well, ouch.

Daehwi brushes his hair aside and catches one last look of his reflection in the mirror. Yup, definitely adorable and taken for granted at the moment.

“Give me one reason to care about the shitty people who are managing me, _hyung,_ _”_ Daehwi grabs his wallet and earphone from his bag. “Besides, no one will care. It’s LA.”

“Right,”Dongho responds. “But it’s still _K-Con_.”

“It’s a different stan culture here,” Daehwi sniffs impatiently as he fishes for a pen and writes a quick note to Jinyoung saying that he’s leaving to meet his boyfriend. “Come on, I taught you all about this. Don’t be a sore iceberg, let the ship sail.”

Daehwi is leaving anyway, Dongho saying no is all talk. He knows deep down Dongho doesn’t really possess the will or ability to rejeect Daehwi unless he is in a mood, which he hasn’t been in for a while.

(The last time, it was when Weekly Idol’s new MC episode aired and the scene where Daehwi sexy-danced with the cute idol whose name he can’t remember made the cut).

Dongho had been right down cranky in jealousy, and Daehwi had simply screen-recorded the entire video call because he thought grumpy Dongho was just hella cute.

Dongho responds, “My manager is going to rip my ear off if people find out, and then I’m not going to be able to perform because I won’t be able to put my ear piece on, and then I’m going to upset a lot of people, and then boom, I’m gonna make Nu’est lose fans. _Again_. Is that what you want, Daehwi?”

Okay, now he’s just messing with Daehwi.

He grabs his hotel room’s card and left as silently and as quickly as possible. “Okay _first_ , your manager loves me and thinks I’m fabulous, which I can’t say the same for you. Second, you can sing just fine without earpiece, you’re surprisingly born with extra bit of talent to make up for your lack of brain. Third, the size of your fanbase is good enough to bring you awards and funding for your next comeback. Those fake bitches that left are not fans, so don’t honor them that title. Besides, speaking from experience, you _really_ don’t want more. Some of them go hella stalker-ish and crazy on your ass and it’s a pain, I kid you not.”

Daehwi stops to draw breath. He checks the room number in front of him, and he can suddenly feel his heart beating rapidly against his rib cage.

This is it.

Chewing the inside of his cheek, he knocks. “Fourth, open up.”

A pause, and then he hears an easy and familiar laughter both on the line and from inside the room, and _oh gosh_ it didn’t hit Daehwi just how much he misses his boyfriend until this very moment.

The room opens with a click and a pair of strong arm pulls Daehwi into a warm embrace.

Daehwi throws his own arms around the other person’s neck and nuzzles his nose to his boyfriend’s throat. He breathes in as much of his scent as possible for old time sake, and Daehwi is relieved to smell the familiar scent of coffee, musk, and fresh mint.

He feels the tension that has been strangling him for the past few months slowly release and he lets himself relax into Dongho’s strong hold.

He has not seen him in a long, long, time.

After their relationship became gradually better in the beginning of this year, feeding their renewed relationship with datesor even casual hang outs were made impossible due to Daehwi’s ridiculously busy schedules. They had been hoping that their promotions will clash sometime during the first half of the year, which will allow them the chance to sneak into each other’s waiting room during music shows, but then Dongho had been pushed into seclusion as the terrible rumor that someone pulled out of someone’s ass roamed the internet, which meant Nuest W couldn’t really make a come back without attracting hate, and so after that, it had been straight up impossible for them to meet.

When the rumor was finally resolved with Dongho being found innocent and cleared of all charges, Daehwi was already gone touring, and so they drew in the conclusion that the universe was basically against them.

This is literally the first time they’ve seen each other in forever, and the last time they met, tensions were still heavy in the air with the unclear implications of their relationship post Produce 101. Daehwi was still nursing a tender ache from Dongho’s sudden dismissal of their shaky relationship, and Dongho was still clouded with uncertainty on his career and burning anger toward himself that it was hard for him to openly love Daehwi without dragging extra baggage with him.

To be honest, Daehwi was surprised in the beginning at how easy their new relationship was forming even strongly than their first one, especially when the only way they were able to communicate is through regular texts and phone calls.

When Daehwi brought it up to Dongho one time, this is what he said;

“We were two completely different forces of nature and we would have only exploded if we had clashed too fast too soon—like the first time around.”

“Is this good, then?” Daehwi had asked in the middle of the night, wishing to the stars for the millionth time that Dongho could have been there by his side in person.

“For now, yeah. There will be time when this is no longer going to be enough, but for now, I think this is safe.”

And Daehwi had agreed and thought Dongho was right. They skipped a lot of things in their first relationship that they failed in building a proper and solid foundation to the point where it had been so easy to see the finish line, to see where everything was going to crumble and fall apart.

Daehwi is more sure of them now, and he knows Dongho is on the same page, so he lets go from the hug, because unlike the last time Daehwi buried his face to Dongho’s chest, he no longer feels like if he lets go, that will be _it_.

“I swear, you’re such a pain, Daehwi,” Dongho grins and ruffles his hair, and then moves to grab something to wear.

And then Daehwi realizes Dongho is topless in all of his toned body and nice arms glory.

Daehwi has seen the video his boyfriend posted on Instagram, has seen the many clips of him working out floating around on stan Twitter, but damn, to see it in person after demanding and being rejected of a shirtless picture for the past month—

Daehwi swallows.

He feels his throat constricts. Yeah, okay, he’s going to die before he reaches twenty. That’s okay. He’ll send his mother a letter asking to make sure his cause of death is written as _Kang Dongho’s hot muscle and tattoo._

 _“Careful_ , you’re drooling.”

Daehwi snaps to the familiar voice, and then shuts his jaw in a loud clack.

Oh—Heaven’s sake.

Minhyun is lying on his stomach with his face rested on both of his palms. He is still in his pajamas and there is a mischievous, teasing grin on his face that manages to look so ethereal that Daehwi can’t really hate him for shit.

Daehwi ignores the flush in his cheeks and narrows his eyes suspiciously instead, “I thought he’s rooming with Jonghyun- _hyung_?”

“He left to grab breakfast for us. Minki and Aron- _hyung’s_ coming soon.”

Oh.

Daehwi suddenly feels very, very uncomfortable.

He did not see this coming. How could he not see this—?

It makes sense that they would want to spend time together. Even though Minhyun has been visiting Pledis lately and they’ve spent more time together compared to when Minhyun had just debuted with Wanna One, Daehwi knows from personal observations over the past year on how tight they are, and he feels stupid for not considering the fact that Dongho might have other plans.

“Okay, I’m good,” Dongho emerges from the bathroom, freshly shaven and ready to go despite his earlier protest. He grabs his phone in one hand and Daehwi’s wrist in another. “See you later,” he tells Minhyun.

“Wait,” Daehwi is so dumb he can’t believe himself. His feet remains planted onto the room’s soft carpet. “No, have your breakfast with the others, it’s—“

“Daehwi, it’s fine,” Minhyun rolls his eyes and waves him off.

“No, seriously, I should have asked first,” Daehwi says, feeling his ears burn in embarrassment.

Dongho chuckles, and the rough hand on his wrist trails down to clasp his smaller hands. “I told them last night I might not be able to get breakfast with them, so it’s okay.”

Wait, what.

Daehwi shoots Dongho a glare, and Dongho simply flashes him a sheepish grin.

At that moment, the door opens, and the other three Nu’est members entered the room carrying bags of food in their hands.

Daehwi glances to his boyfriend, just to see him break into a huge smile at seeing his members all gathered in one place.

Yeah, this isn’t something he can—and doesn’t want to—get in between. He really should leave.

(He really doesn’t want to though, because when else can he see his boyfriend?)

“My child!” Minki exclaims as soon as he lays his eyes on Daehwi. He rushes in, passes the bags to Minhyun, and pulls Daehwi into quick a hug. “Are you here to whisk away my other grumpier child?”

“Yah, I’m older than you,” Dongho’s hand leaves Daehwi’s to cuff Minki on the back of his head.

“Could have fooled me,” Minki sticks out his tongue, and then goes to cuddle with Minhyun on the bed.

Aron gives Daehwi a kind grin as he sets the bags on the table and starts getting the boxes out. “Morning, are you guys getting breakfast together downstairs?”

Daehwi really wants to dig a hole and bury himself alive. He is so so so so so so _so_ stupid. This is literally Seonho’s level of stupid and he can’t believe he has resorted this far.

He squirms uneasily, “Actually, _hyung_ , I think I’m just going to go back.”

Aron lifts his brows and pauses, turning questioningly to Dongho, who throws Minhyun a glare.

“You literally could have just shut your mouth,” says Dongho sharply.

Minhyun gets up from where his arm is still draped over Minki and sighs. “Listen, Daehwi, he’s been very excited for a week now about finally seeing you again after so long, so please spare us the trouble and just go.”

Slight tinge of pink appears in Dongho’s cheek. “Shut up,” he grumbles beneath his breath.

That’s flattering. Still.

“I’m really okay—“

“No, Minhyunie’s right,” Minki chimes in from the bed where he is lazilyscrolling through his phone, and suddenly, Daehwi’s own phone in his pocket buzzes with notification. “There, I just sent you a clip of Dongho watching a fan-made video of _Donghwi_ on YouTube last Wednesday.”

Daehwi turns to Dongho in amused disbelief.

“Speaking of lovesick, Minhyun-ah, do you want a video of Aron-hyung disgustingly cooing at Mel’s 6th birthday photo?” Dongho asks loudly to hide his embarrassment.

Minhyun shoots Aron a sharp look, and Aron spares no time thinking twice before throwing Dongho the nearest pillow, “Yah! Leave me out of this,” he blushes, blatantly avoiding Minhyun’s glare that demands for explanation.

Ever the pacifist, Jonghyun cuts in before Minki can make the situation worse, which he is tempted to, no doubt. “It’s probably best if you two leave now before more fans can gather downstairs.”

Dongho takes that as his cue, “Alright. Bye, losers.”

He bodily moves Daehwi by the shoulder and lightly pushes him towards the door.

“Wait,” Minki calls them, and Daehwi stops. He turns to see Minki looking up from his phone apologetically and it immediately sends a sinking feeling in Daehwi’s gut.

Not even LA and all of its rainbow goodness seem to be in favor of his and Dongho’s relationship, apparently.

Now that’s just disappointing.

“Manager- _hyung_ just sent the group chat a text,” Minki shares. “He just wants us to remember to keep our gays to ourselves despite being away from home.”

Seriously?

Aron snorts, “I’m sorry, gays—I mean, guys.”

Dongho throws him a pillow, full force.

Face pulled into a disappointed pout, Daehwi simply shakes Dongho’s hands off his shoulder, ready to actually leave this time. Daehwi doesn’t want his good mood to be ruined further.

His intention easily detected by his boyfriend, Dongho pulls him by his waist, holding him closer. Radiating body warmth that almost melts Daehwi into a gross, cuddly mess, Dongho wraps both arms across Daehwi’s waist, locking him into a tight hold. Resting his chin on Daehwi’s shoulder, Dongho murmurs, “Stay.”

Okay that is so not fair.

Shooting a helpless look to Jonghyun—the only sympathetic person to Daehwi’s cause at this point—Daehwi leans his head on Dongho’s cheek and sighs, rolling his eyes as if to convey, well, what can I do?

Jonghyun, who has simply been studying them in amusement since he came in, finally breaks out into fits of giggle and whips out his phone. “I’ll ask _hyung_ to leave you two alone,” he grins, and Daehwi feels like worshipping him because clearly he’s sent from Heaven above.

“Thanks, Jonghyun-ah,” Dongho tells him, his grin matching Daehwi’s. 

Jonghyun gives them a wink and takes the incoming call, “Sorry, _hyung_. Yeah, they’re leaving anyway. They promised to be subtle—no, I asked the other Wanna One members to come down later to make it less suspicious—okay, yeah—okay, I’ll tell them—thanks _hyung_! Sorry.”

He ends the call and relays the message, “ _Hyung_ says it’s better if either one of you leave first. Don’t come down together.”

Dongho stretches, “Alright, see you downstairs in a bit.” He tells Daehwi with a pinch on the cheek, and then left.

Daehwi watches him leave, not forgetting to wink his way one last time before he closes the door behind him, which Daehwi receives with a half-blush-half-scowl on his face. Trust Kang Dongho to get over his gay panic only when he is in front of his _bros_ , that darned asshole. Probably proud he’s the only one who can flaunt a relationship.

_Snap._

Daehwi turns to Minki, eyes narrowed at the camera pointing at him, and then thinks it over and sighs instead. He really holds no power against him, he can’t even be bothered to try now, after a year.

There are a variety of smug, mischievous smiles from four different handsome faces all adorned with eyebrows raised knowingly, and holy _crap,_ Daehwi kind of realizes he is a hoe left alone with the bros.

Survival instinct kicking in, he gets himself together fast and says super nonchalantly, “Well, I better go now. Don’t want to keep him waiting.”

They all crack into soft chuckles, and it is Minhyun who rolls his eyes and dismisses him. “Get out before it gets crowded. The others will be there soon.”

It is not really an approval, but Daehwi has always been smart when it comes to people. It is as much of a green light as he is ever going to get. For the past few months being on tour, he doesn’t think anything has made him feel happier than this.

“Thank you,” he tells them all, for giving him a chance, for trusting him with the healing, vulnerable heart of the sexy bandit slash genius producer slash big softie slash princess Kang Dongho.

His steps feel light as he makes his way to breakfast, and the smile on his face—concealed behind the mask—grows wider as he spots the one and only Kang Dongho, filling up his plate with a crazy amount of protein that Daehwi knows he can finish in a go. He picks up his own plate, greets him like they are nothing more than an acquaintance who was thrown into a survival show with him, and ate in separate tables until the rest of Wanna One members fill the chairs around him.

Daehwi thinks he can take this just a little bit longer.

And as he secretly trades a glance with Dongho, who subtly raises his glass of water to Daehwi in mock appreciation, he hides a small smile and knows that Dongho can wait just a little bit longer, too.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Canon event:  
> 1\. K-Con LA  
> 2\. Weekly Idol episode (Daehwi did a slightly provocative dance with a fellow male idol)  
> 3\. Dongho cleared of all charges  
> 4\. Mel's birthday instapost by Hwang Sujin  
> 6\. Wanna One touring before K-Con LA
> 
> Might have happened:  
> 1\. The breakfast scene. Someone said they spotted him at the hotel's breakfast area together, and Daehwi greeted Dongho. (Check Twitter)  
> 2\. Aron and Sujin (Minhyun's older sister). Who knows what they're up to. 
> 
> Did not happen:  
> Any of these Donghwi scene. It's fiction written for fun. 
> 
> I'm @japanscarat on twitter. Come bug me.


	5. 28 January, 2019

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dongho calls Daehwi on his way home from the last concert he had as Wanna One.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is one for you folks.
> 
> Hope this can make you fell better.

Daehwi has not texted, nor gotten a text from him for the past four days.

Today, he feels empty, he feels lost, and he is still currently crying in the car on the way back to the Brand New Music dorm. Even as fatigue is dragging him to sleep, he does not want to sleep and wake up the next day having to come to terms with the gaping hole in his chest.

He is not ready to face the brand new start that tomorrow - well, today - will bring.

From the quiet sobs that he hears from Woojin-hyung, he knows he is not the only one.

Daehwi guesses he hasn't heard from _him_ because he realizes he can't ever understand the feeling that Daehwi is going through, has been going through for the past month, and has decided to go silent because he does not have anything comforting to say.

(Perhaps he feels bad, because Daehwi knows somewhere deep down that Dongho has been counting down with giddy excitement to the day that he can come back together with all of his brothers as a whole).

His phone has been on silent mode, too, for he cannot be bothered to respond to all the messages from his friends and family.

But he stares at it, and he waits for the screen to light up with a notification that he so badly wants to see.

It is 0:35 when it flashes, and Daehwi does not spare a single second.

He answers it, and waits.

There is a shushing sound from the other line, and then his voice, telling him, _"You're strong."_

Daehwi feels his entire world stilling, his entire being focusing on that single phrase. He takes a deep, slow breath, and responds, "I am."

" _You've been so strong, and you will continue to be strong."_

Daehwi breaks into a watery smile, "I will."

 _"But for now you get to feel sad and scared and cry, and I want you to do that, because I don't want you to turn into an emotionally constipated person like me._ "

He laughs, and mouths to tell Woojin- _hyung_ who it is when their eyes met through the rearview mirror. Woojin- _hyung_ rolls his eyes, to which Daehwi responds with a look.

_"Please tell me that worked."_

Daehwi bites his lower lip and clears his throat, "I don't know, I think you should try harder next time."

_"Well, you can always check Nu'est's new twitter post to feel better if that didn't do it."_

Daehwi frowns and checks (he has the notification on), and snorts.

"Impressive amount of layer of foundation," he comments.

He hears Dongho chuckle, _"All the fat and protein did a number on me and I am a vein, vein, man."_

"Yeah, I wouldn't call you that, you were practically flaunting your zits two days ago."

_"Did that make you feel better?"_

"Sure, I think I prefer the zits."

_"Alright."_

His phone suddenly turns to loud speaker mode, and he watches as Dongho's face, with all of his zits and imperfection, breaks into a smile. _"Don't you look terrible._ "

Daehwi throws Woojin- _hyung_ and apologetic glance and turns the light in the car on. "You don't look that handsome yourself," he sasses, which he regrets as soon as it comes out, sounding weak and defeated and all.

Dongho does not say anything and studies him for a moment, and then he flips the camera to show him a lifeless Minhyun slumped on the sofa in their dorm, tucked in between Minki- _hyung_ and Jonghyun _-hyung_ , then he flips it again to show his shitface.

 _"Be upset, it's okay."_ He half-tells-half-commands him. _"Go on, you can cry."_

Daehwi is unimpressed and feels very much in love. "Now you just sound like a big bully, do you know that?"

Dongho cocks his eyebrows proudly. _"I have an image to uphold_."

"Yeah, no one's buying that shit."

Their car has arrived to the apartment complex near his dorm, and he switches the call to phone mode again. "I'm sorry, I need to go soon."

_"Of course. Call me when you're ready."_

"I will," Daehwi promises. He does not have the energy to process all of this intense feeling that he has bubbling up in his chest, nor does he know how to put them into words, but he knows there is no rush, especially now that he can fully breathe at his own pace.

_"You have all the time in the world."_

"I know. I do." He takes a deep breath, "I got this."

_"Okay. Goodnight."_

"Goodnight. Send me selca, don't edit the zit out."

_"You're weird. Send me a crying photo in return then."_

"Ooh, kinky."

_"For fuck's sake, keep it in your pants, Daehwi."_

Daehwi laughs, and ends the call. He gets off from the car and hugs Youngmin- _hyung_ and Donghyun- _hyung_ as he enters the dorm, and made sure to snap a provocative mirror selca with his tear-streaked face before he goes to clean his make-up.

He has all the time in the world to be strong come tomorrow.

But for now, he is going to shove his face into his pillow and cry himself to sleep.

And then in the morning, he will eat whatever he wants and try to get fat while he still can. He'll also probably grow a zit or two to match his boyfriends'. And then while he's at it, he is going to actually open his school textbook and feel his age.

He will be okay.

His phone dings with a notification of the photo he requested along with a long rant that demands him to snap out of puberty, and he smiles.

Yeah, he will be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wannables, I love you, I hope this can help you feel better. 
> 
> LOVES, I love you too. Let's welcome our Minhyun home with open arms, yeah?


	6. Dispatch Valentine Special

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daehwi's high-pitched squeal fills the dorm as soon as the clock strikes 00.00 on February 14th.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bringing to you fluffy humor this time around, enjoy!

Sudden, high-pitched, unmanly squeal fills the living room at Brand New Music boys’ dorm exactly at 00:00 AM sharp.

It comes from the one and only Lee Daehwi, who is currently snuggled on the sofa in his pink, soft, and fluffy pajama. His one hand is clutching his phone while the other is clasping his mouth tight to muffle the high-frequency sound that threatens to escape his from his throat every second or so. On the screen, it is a video that has just been uploaded by Dispatch—a Valentine special featuring the one man who he definitely thought did not match the entire concept of ‘Day of Love’ until the man himself proves him wrong.

(Of course he does, it's basically his lifestyle at this point.)

Oh, wait, now the model is smiling to the camera. Oh, shit, okay, he knows his boyfriend is cute, but does he really have to look like that— _squeal_ —so cute, Daehwi is literally unable to can—oh, he’s now posing with clear, plastic balls, holding them near his face, gosh such an amateur— _squeal_ —so unnecessary, this disrespect, why him of all people when Nu’est literally has four other idols who can pull it off better— _squeal._

“ _Will you please shut it_?” Someone screams from one of the rooms—Youngmin- _hyung_. “One of us is trying to actually get some peace and silence around here!”

Daehwi doesn’t bother with apology, too busy screen recording the entire video and saving it in the secret archive full of his boyfriends’ photos and videos from pre-debut in his phone.

For good measure, he watches the video once more, this time making sure to capture every single part that he likes, which, really, is basically every frame.

Then, he watches it again, and again, marking down the video down to the minutes that he likes so he can make gifs from them after this. 

Ten minutes of scrutinizing the new collections in his secret archive later, he purses his lips in distaste at the lack of content - seriously, why can’t Dispatch do their job properly - and texts the only person he can rely on.

_Quick, who’s the director, I need to have a word._

_I see someone's gotten my gift :D_

The response comes within ten second, and Daehwi inwardly groans because it means his boyfriend knows he is going to text, and seriously, his head cannot afford to grow bigger because that is literally the only thing Minhyun- _hyung_ has going on for him and that brand should not be taken away from that poor hyung of his. 

_I didn't ask for emojis, I asked for names. Spill, Dongho-ssi, quick._

_But where's my compliment :(_

Daehwi bites his lower lip, because  _fuck_ he's so cute right now.

He starts counting to ten just so he doesn't seem too eager, and then on the count to six he sort of realizes he really can't hold it anymore, and so he quits the V-Live app and video calls the meathead.

Without waiting much, his screen flashes with—

The shit-eating grin that graces the face of the one and only Hwang Minhyun.

Should have known the emojis were too good to be true.

"Give me my boyfriend." Daehwi snaps in annoyance.

 _"Ah, ah, what do you say?_ " Minhyun's pretty face shines with sweat, so Daehwi assumes Nu'est is practicing at the moment - except for Minki- _hyung_ who's currently doing Prince duty in Thailand - which means his boyfriend must also be glistened with sweat in his tank top that shows his muscled, toned body, and oh, okay fine—

"Give me my boyfriend, please." Daehwi says, fixing his hair and applying lip gloss to add that extra pop of cuteness.

 _"You are so whipped,"_ laughs Minhyun, who flips the camera to show Dongho pushing his sweaty hair back, showing his— _oh,_ is that forehead?. " _Say hi to your Valentine, Dongho-yah."_

Dongho turns to the camera, causing Daehwi's heart to skip a beat faster, and he snaps into realization a second later, eyes wide with surprise. " _Yah, is that Daehwi?"_

Well, at least there's that. Daehwi doesn't know what he would do if he mentioned some random bitch's name.

(He does, Dongho's catching hands, but anyway.)

Daehwi watches as Dongho walks closer to the camera with a hint of smile on his face. Then, the view shifts before stilling again with the camera flipped back to selfie mode, this time showing Dongho's face.

 _"Have you seen the video?"_ Dongho asks right off the bat, grinning ear-to-ear.

The first thing Daehwi notice now that he's up close is the eye bags, but as much as he'd like to comment on them and scold him for it, Daehwi also notes the refreshed, happy look on his face, as well as the lightness that can be seen in his step and shoulder. Judging by his excitement, Dongho must be having fun pulling an all-nighter for their upcoming album, so he shakes his worry away for now and decides he'll lecture Dongho on the importance of resting later. 

Instead, he smiles prettily to the camera. "Yes, I have."

Dongho lifts his brows expectantly, _"And?"_

"It was okay, I guess." Daehwi shrugs nonchalantly.

"Lies." Daehwi jumps at the sudden voice so close to his ear. He turns to see the scowl on Youngmin's face and makes a face, knowing he's going to get an ass-whoop later. "He was being loud and letting out inhuman noise, for a second I thought he was possessed or something."

Dongho giggles. Daehwi likes the sound, he should get it recorded next time. " _Sorry man, I promise this won't take long."_

Youngmin sighs, "It's fine, just keep it quiet. You're not the only one with a lover to call."

" _Got it. Will do."_

Daehwi throws Youngmin- _hyung_ a look, asking him to scatter.

Youngmin- _hyung_  rolls his eyes and says to Dongho before leaving,  _"_ I don't care that you're build like brick. You better keep it G rated, or I swear—"

"Gosh, can you _please_ leave?" Daehwi cuts, shoving him away. He can feel his cheek flushing red in embarrassment. 

Youngmin winks his way and goes back to his room with glass of water, leaving him alone once more in the living room. 

"Where were we? _"_ Daehwi turns back to Dongho.

His boyfriend grins,  _"I believe you were in the middle of telling me how good I looked in that video."_

You can bet Woojin- _hyung_ 's left kidney that he is not helping Minhyun- _hyung_ lose his main and only brand, so he scoffs, "Don't take Youngmin- _hyung_ 's word seriously."

" _I'm not even taking his word, he sent me a video of you making sounds rivaling that of pteranodon's a few minutes back."_

Okay, Daehwi's officially throwing hands. 

"You're _such_ a caveman of course you'd know what pteranodon sounds like."

" _Stop being mean and start showering me with compliments, Daehwi, it's literally not that hard."_

Daehwi narrows his eyes. He studies his boyfriend's hot, ragged look, considers the video he just fanboyed over, and decides maybe Dongho does deserve a reward just for today. "Fine. You were insanely cute in that innocent  _'noona, hyung, I'll be a good boy'_ kind of vibe and I think you'll sell over 500,000 albums next comeback if you keep it up and continue to please the sugar mommies and daddies."

Dongho throws his head back and laughs. " _That'd be nice and all, but you're pretty much the only person I'm trying to please around here."_

Daehwi feels his face getting warmer, sometimes he misses the days when Dongho is just a hot mess and was not able to say anything nice to him without getting tongue-twisted.

(He doesn't).

"Honestly, it was a surprise." Daehwi clears his throat and tries to come off as casual to hide how smitten and giddy he actually is. "If anything, I thought they'd go for Minhyun- _hyung_ or Minki- _hyung_  considering the soft, royal, ethereal vibe that they're exuding."

 _"I guess their single asses weren't convincing enough then."_ Dongho grins, successfully avoiding a water bottle launched his way.

Daehwi raises an eyebrow at the cockiness, "How so?"

Something glistens behind Dongho's look. "Minki _and Minhyun are cute, sure, but they're not in love, a bit tricky for Valentine, don't you think?"_

Daehwi stops breathing.

Oh.

_Oh._

No, he cannot lose his footing. "And you'd consider yourself to be in love?"

Daehwi opens his ears wide. 

Dongho doesn't miss a beat,  _"I'd say so, yeah."_

Daehwi rolls his lips to his mouth and pressed them tight to the point of hurting because _fucking_  Youngmin- _hyung_. 

Dongho smirks, because the meathead probably knows exactly what kind of effects he has on poor, poor Daehwi.

"I—" Daehwi chokes, brain mushed up and suddenly unable to function. "You—"

It's not like he doesn't know or feel the same way, _but._  

Dongho laughs,  _"Daehwi, it's okay."_

Daehwi wants to kill himself, out of all the time in this world to gay panic, how corny and cliche is it to be doing it now, of all time?

Dongho's lips tug into a soft smile, " _Don't think too much into it, remember I haven't actually said it or anything. Go water your cat or something, I promise I'll see you soon."_

He doesn't have a cat.

"Okay," Daehwi manages.

_"I have to go back and teach this dumbass his choreography, shocking, I know, but look out for a delivery later, yeah?"_

"Yeah."

Daehwi's pretty sure cats cannot be watered in the first place.

_"Bye, Daehwi. Go to bed."_

"Goodnight."

Or can they? Should cats be watered?

Daehwi blinks.

Huh.

He glances over to Youngmin- _hyung's_ bedroom door.

Fuck it.

Daehwi _squeals_. 

 

 


	7. White Day & 7th Anniversary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dongho calls Daehwi on White Day, 30 minutes before Nu'est 7th Anniversary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this came out late, wanted to experience the anniversary without any disturbance.
> 
> TW: Recent Burning Sun scandal, though no particular names are mentioned.

_“Welcome to Prison 101, where Burning Sun Entertainment is going to debut the criminal group of the year. Don’t forget to vote for your top finalist, and remember, vote based on the amount of crimes they’ve committed, and not just from their visuals!”_

Dongho is taken aback at the sudden bitter rant of wrath that comes immediately after the other line picks up. He blinks, looks at his phone screen to make sure he’s calling the right number, and presses it back to his ear, because of course it’s the right number, and of course - only the person he intended to call would be incredibly upset (and rightfully so) with recent events.

Dongho thinks maybe he should leave him to it. “Uh - I can call you later?”

_“Honestly, these asshats deserve so much more than 7 to 8 years in jail. Maybe trylifetime sentence, or electric chair, or hang them, even, I couldn’t care less, can you please eliminate these motherfuckers because I rather not breathe in the same air as they do? Also - where the hell did Woojin-hyung store the flours?”_

Dongho sort of feels out of place and lost at the same time, which is a rarity these days since Minhyun’s back and everything has fallen right where they’re supposed to be, once more. “Uh,” he says, still unsure. “I agree.”

 _“Men,”_ Daehwi spits from the other line. _“Worthless, the lot of them - oh, found it.”_

Well, Dongho can raise a glass to that. He knows Minki will too, especially after the similar tantrum he threw this morning as the scandal revealed more names.

 _“What did you call me for?”_ Daehwi suddenly asks, tone still snappish with an unkind bite to it.

From a distant, Dongho can hear the feint sound of cooking utensils, perhaps bowls or spoon, clattering together. He’s still entirely unsure and only has some clue on what got Daehwi so upset so late at night, but Dongho’s heart swells three times over at hearing Daehwi’s voice again anyway. Ranting or humming sweet lullabies, Dongho is too damn smitten that he he can listen to him forever. “No, please, do continue, I’m on break right now.”

There’s a sound of clattering utensils again, and then Daehwi mutters, _“No, it’s okay. I already ranted enough to the others this morning.”_

Ah, makes sense.

Usually, or - most of the time, Daehwi has the ability to go on and on, and Dongho usually lets him, because Dongho, again, has no objection listening to his voice at whatever context. Dongho can even imagine the whole affair that must have occurred earlier in the morning, and he suddenly wishes he could have been subjected to it in person. He wishes he was there to witness Daehwi’s anger all by himself, with all of his flushed cheeks, exaggerated gestures, and high-pitched exclamations glory.

_“Hello?”_

“Sorry,” Dongho snaps back to reality, mind lingering in the last image of Daehwi’s plump, red, pouty lips, scowling at the injustice of the world. He shakes his head and groans internally. Cold showers, it is. As if the weather’s not freezing enough already.He clears his throat, “I just wanted to wish you a quick Happy White Day - that, and I haven’t really been able to call you much lately. I’m sorry.”

 _“Oh,”_ Daehwi responds, and his voice turns softer around the edges. This time, there’s a pouring sound, followed by quick whisking. _“Don’t be sorry, Hyung, I know you’re busy with concert prep and the upcoming album. I understand.”_

“I know you do,” Dongho grins, heart beating in its usual, fluttery rhythm every time he’s with Daehwi. “I just miss you.”

There’s a pause, and all sort of activities on the other line seem to halt. Daehwi replies, and there’s a hint of easy, gentleness in his voice. _“Well, don’t you sound exceptionally cheesy and happy.”_

At the comment, Dongho looks around the studio, at the scattered mess left by all his four members who decided to take a walk and leave Dongho alone since he decided he wants to be whipped instead, and feel all safe and warm. “I am - happy, that is.” he admits, and he feels undefeated, like he can take on the entire world and come out of unscathed.

(But the feeling, it doesn’t really last).

Daehwi hums, and he seems to continue whatever it is that he is doing at - 11.35 p.m. - at night. It seems like it’s a pause Daehwi leaves on purpose, to allow Dongho to gather his thoughts and share the bubbling, almost indescribable feeling in his chest to Daehwi, if he likes to.

And it’s Daehwi, so of course, he likes to.

He takes a deep breath. “The last time I was this excited was seven years ago, before debut, before I knew what the world was going to throw at us. I remember feeling this similar kind of unshakeable nerve, but also feeling so, so happy at the same time.”

He doesn’t get any response, but he knows Daehwi is listening to him intently, with all that he has. Dongho holds on to that faith and continues, “The feeling sort of faded along the way with shit after shit that happened, and the reality was obviously different to how I imagined it out to be, but - to think the universe was kind enough to grace us second chance like this again, it’s all still like a dream, Daehwi.”

His head feels foggy and clear at the same time, and he feels slightly more relaxed with every word he softly speaks into the empty studio, to the phone. “It’s been one hell of a journey, and we clearly came out of it as better people, which I will always be grateful for, but this kind of second chance is still too good to be true that it’s almost scary.”

He exhales. He knows it’s not only him, who’s sort of hanging onto whatever thread of courage they can find. He reads it in Minhyun’s hesitant step when he’s entering a room where the other four are already there beforehand, he figures it out in the way Minki wraps his arms around their waist and pull them close at random moments, he can tell from how Aron grits his teeth when ignoring the sudden jolt of pain in his knees in the middle of practice so they don’t have to start over from the top, and lastly, Jonghyun, from the way he has been far too tense that he forgets he is allowed to crack a smile and the world will still welcome them with open arms the next day.

 _“You know you deserve this, right?”_ Daehwi asks gently, and it does its magic in slowly smoothing the insane tangle of overwhelming feelings in Dongho’s chest.

Dongho adjust his position from where he sits on the floor and leans back, corners of his lips tugging into a smile. “Yeah,” he tells Daehwi, and it’s the first time he admits to deserving anything good in life in a while. “It’s scary to think that this time, I know I - we, do.”

The clattering sound picks up again from the other line, followed by Daehwi, saying, _“Good. I promise you’ll hit big. As soon as ‘A Song for You’ comes out tomorrow, I’ll make sure to stream all night. Guanlin-ie and Seonho, too. We already made a group chat and everything.”_

Dongho laughs, “You’re unbelievable.”

_“You mean adorable.”_

“Sure, that, too.”

There’s a sudden breath of laughter. _“Hyung, seriously, what’s going on?”_ Daehwi asks, and he sounds almost nervous, if Dongho hears it right.

He can’t help his grin, “What do you mean?”

_“You sound different. It’s weird."_

“Bad weird?”

A pause. _“Well, no. I’m just - I don’t know, overwhelmed. Not in a bad way. You’re just - you’ve never been this—soft.”_

Dongho sortof understands what Daehwi means. He thinks Daehwi put it right exactly as how he feels at the moment. Being smothered by nothing by strength, support, and love by all of his members and fans for the past few months seemed to make him radiate the same kind and equal amount of positive vibe that he almost thinks it’s impossible for anything in this world to bring him down. Also, being away from social media helps, too, now that he’s deactivated his instagram account.

He tells Daehwi like it is, because nothing stands between him and the truth when it’s with Daehwi. “I guess I’m just really, really grateful for a lot of things. When you take a second to pause and really look around at all the things around you, I don’t think you can help but to start truly appreciate all the precious stuff or people in your life.”

_“Can you name them?”_

Dongho automatically raises a hand and looks at all five fingers. He folds his thumb down, “Jonghun-ah.”

Then, his point finger, “Aron-hyung.”

Middle finger, “Minhyun-ah.”

Ring finger, “Minki.”

Pinky, “Our fans.”

He looks at his hand that is now clenched in a fist, and then raises his thumb back up because he miscalculated.

 _“Anyone else?_ ” Daehwi asks, nonchalant with a hint of insistence.

Dongho rolls his eyes fondly and stares at the thumb. “I don’t know, is there anyone else?”

_“I think you missed someone.”_

He laughs, open and free and so, so, so in love. “I think so too.”

There’s a hitched breath, and then a muffled giggle from the other line.

He folds his thumb back down. A sore, sore finger he is. “There’s this kid,he’s called Daehwi.”

 _“Sounds like an amazing person.”_ Daehwi pipes, cheerful. _“I think I’d love him if I were you.”_

Dongho steals a glance into the practice mirror in front of him and finds a wide, wide grin on his face. He wonders how long he has been in that state.

“I think I already have,” he tells Daehwi, sincere with all that he has. “Loved him, for a while now.”

There’s a flutter of breath. _“I think - I think I need to go.”_

Dongho laughs, because this is a new routine of theirs, for Daehwi to constantly try to get Dongho to tell him he loves him, and for him to panic and end the call immediately after. Rather than feeling at odd with how Daehwi doesn’t respond back, he feels warm and at peace instead, because he knows, because as much as Daehwi is good and overly brilliant with words, he surprisingly prefers to show his feelings rather than speak them, on this matter.

“Go,” Dongho tells him, because the clock almost strikes midnight, and by then, he will want to spend time with his brothers and brothers alone, to celebrate. “It’s getting late.”

 _“Okay, I’ll see you soon.”_ Daehwi whispers.

“And whatever it is that you’re doing,” Dongho finally addresses the clattering sound that has been appearing every now and then throughout their phone call. “Be safe.”

Daehwi laughs from the other side, joyful. He ends the call with a soft ‘roger’, and Dongho gets up to find the rest of his members, with ten minutes to go until midnight.

 

.

 

The next day - and Dongho shouldn’t have been surprised at the amount of bags after bags of gifts from fans that their staff bring inside - Taehyuk-hyung himself comes up to him while they’re reading through the script for the V-Live they’re going to do that night. Entering the room, he carries with him a simple, white paper bag that looks moderately expensive. He places the bag on Dongho’s lap, and winks, “I was asked to give this one straight to you.”

It takes only a second for realization to sink in.

(It really, really isn’t that hard to guess).

Dongho can’t help the flush that’s rising to his cheeks even if he tries, and he can hear Minki and Minhyun sharing matching, shit-eating grins.

“Open it,” Jonghyun urges from where he’s sitting, and Aron gets his phone out to record the entire thing.

Their director simply throws him an eye roll, and waves, motioning for him to get on with it.

He glances at the camera held by Aron-hyung, feeling self-conscious all too sudden, and opens the paper bag. Inside, there’s another layer of thin colored paper that hides the actual gift, with a note attached to it. He takes the note out, and reads it;

_Hey hyung, happy white day to you too. I was planning on giving this yesterday, but I thought today would be more fitting considering everything. I tried my best all night last night, so you better finish everything. Also - share. I made sure to bake enough for everyone._

_Love,_

_D._

_p.s. Happy 7th anniversary! Send my love to everyone. Also - I’ll be streaming and watching your live, so don’t you dare bother me until tomorrow._

_He places the note on the table, which gets fished by Minki’s nosy ass, and reaches inside to take the layer off. Under the thin paper reveals a transparent gift-bag that is filled with fresh loaf of all sorts of bread. They look delicious, mouth-watering, and made with extra care and precision. From appearance alone, Dongho thinks it can almost compare to those made by five star pâtissier._

(Trust Daehwi’s fancy ass to go all out).

He takes the bag out and turns it slowly to look at all the different kinds of bread that Daehwi baked for him. He must have spent a lot of time learning how to make them, and then actually making sure they taste nice, until he actually mastered the different kind of pastries he decided to bake - or, knowing Daehwi, he wouldn’t be surprised if he took a private baking class with a top-class pâtissier to make sure everything is perfect.

“Baekho-yah, say something,” Aron says, snapping him out of his reverie.

Dongho can’t really think straight, not with how full he feels. Of what, he can’t really tell.

Minki snorts and snaps the phone into his hand, flipping the camera. “Congrats, Daehwi, you officially broke the poor guy.”

Dongho stares blankly at the bread.Thinks of who made them. Thinks of who they’re for. The variables don’t really connect.

Minki moves to the chair next to Dongho, the camera recording both of them now. “Say thank you, Baekho,” Minki grins.

In front of them, Minhyun laughs. “Yah, have you transcended to nirvana out of happiness or something?”

“Daehwi should have started simple, like a bread keychain or a tiger plushie something,” Jonghyun chimes in, looking thoroughly amused. “Clearly this is too much for his brain to handle.”

Dongho flushes, and hugs the bag of bread with both arms protectively, though he is careful so he doesn’t crush them. “For that alone, I’m not sharing,” he scowls.

"He actually did go all out though - look, tiger bread." Aron points to one of the loaf of bread inside, appreciative.

Dongho looks at the pointed bread, and his heart swells ten times over. He doesn't even know tiger bread is a thing, and now he feels almost shitty now that he realizes each bread must be made out of love; to deliver different meanings or inside jokes.

"Dongho-yah," Minhyun calls, and he turns to the other vocalist, who's wiggling his brows. He nods to the phone. "Say something."

Dongho swallows, suddenly feeling his hand going sweaty and clammy. He stares into the camera, into his own face reflecting back, and tries to imagine it as his own phone, like when he usually talks to Daehwi. He immediately relaxes and clears his throat, it's really the least he can do. "Thank you, Daehwi-yah," he starts, and he somehow manages to make his voice sound smooth. "This - this is amazing, I didn't expect this. I'll eat them all, I promise."

Minki snorts.

Dongho whacks the back of his head, eyes never leaving the camera.

"I also won't share, since you made them for me," Dongho continues, the start of a grin forming in the corners of his lips. "This means a lot. You're amazing and I'm lucky to have you and you better cherish that sentence for the rest of your life because I'm never going to say that ever again."

He doesn't try to hold his laughter back, and he hears his members chuckle with him, sharing his happiness. This, his members and Daehwi all at the same time, has got to be the best thing in his life. "I'll work hard, so you better stream your ass off, too, and I'll call you tomorrow. I - I love you. Thank you."

Minhyun gags.

Jonghyun whacks the back of his head for him.

Minki ends the recording, and immediately forwards it to Daehwi's KakaTalk - and Dongho's, and Minki's, too, because of course the diva needs to have some dirt on him. Dongho lets him, because nothing can bring him down at this point.

Dongho looks down at the pretty bread one last time, finds four pairs of shining, joyful eyes stare back at him, and he grins, unable to help himself. "I love him."

Minhyun chimes in, making a kissy face at him. "I love you too."

Aron joins in, "Then I love Minki."

Minki throws him a finger heart and winks. "I love me too."

They turn as one to Jonghyun, who shakes his head fondly. He sighs, "I love you guys."

Laughing and cringing, they turn back to their script, and continues with an extra boost of newfound energy.

(It took them seven years to get here, but that's okay. It's a world of of love they're living now, and Dongho intends to continue living like this, from now on, until the rest of tomorrow).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe Taehyuk is the manager oppa we all love and adore - NOT the SVT one.


End file.
